SAN FRANCISCO -- The Azusa Pacific volleyball team opened up its return trip to the Bay Area this season with a three-set sweep (25-12, 25-18, 26-24) over Academy of Art Friday night. Five Cougars finished with five or more kills, led by junior Sara Wagenveld who finished the match with 10 kills on 12 attempts, posting a .667 hitting percentage.

Junior Julianne Miller had nine kills, freshman Katarina Radisic posted eight kills, junior Aliyah Morrison finished with seven kills, and senior Natalie Klapp contributed five kills. Senior Kaylen Higa led Azusa Pacific with 18 assists, while freshman Chase Davis added 15 assists. Defensively, the Cougars were led by Miller and Morrison, as Miller finished the match with five blocks. Four of those were block assists, while one was a solo block, and Morrison had three block assists in the match.
 
Azusa Pacific took the first two sets decisively, 25-12 and 25-18, but Academy of Art challenged the Cougars in the third set and threatened to extend the match to a fourth set with a 24-22 lead for set point. In the set, the Cougars faced deficits of 10-6, 17-13, and 23-17. The Cougars scored five straight points to climb back within a point, 23-22, and after Safua Elisaia picked up a kill for a 24-22 Academy of Art advantage, the Cougars closed out the match with four straight points. Wagenveld registered a block to tie the set at 24-24,. and she put away back-to-back kills to close out the match.
 
With the sweep, Azusa Pacific improves to 15-5 overall and 11-1 in PacWest play. The Cougars have a quick turnaround in their two-game, two-day road trip, wrapping up the trip at Holy Names on Saturday, October 13, at 3:00 p.m.